Fan



M. S. DUPONT.

, FAN.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 29. I920.

Patentefl July 12 19210 2 SHEETSSHEET I.

M. S. DUPONT.

FAN.

APPLICATION HLED JULY 29, I920.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2- unit stars TIN S. DUPONT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

flatness.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 12, 1921.

Application filed July 29, 1920. Serial No. 399,869.

T all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, MARTIN S. DUPONT, a

. citizen of the United States, residing at Illinois, have invented certain new and use- Chicago, in the county of Cook and State-of ful Improvements in Fans; andI do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, suchas will enable others skilled in the art t0Wh1Cl1 it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to fans, and contemplates more particularly a mechanically revolved fan held within and operated by the hand of the user. 1

An object ofthe invention is to produce a relatively small fan unit which can be readily held Within the palm of the hand and continuously revolved through the manipulation of a novel mechanical driving means by the'thumb or fingers.

Another object of the invention is the production of a hand operated revoluble fan in which a comparatively simple clutch device is provided for effecting the continuous rotation of the fan blades in one direction.

Another object of the invention is to produce a compact and durable fan unit, the blades of which can be collapsed, and the device otherwise constructed so that it can be easily carried in the pocket or hand bag of the user.

'VVith these and other objects in view. the invention further consists in the construction and arrangement of the several parts hereinafter described and pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawings illustrating an embodi- 'ment ofmy invention, and whereon similar reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views I Figure 1 is a perspective view of the fan as assembled for use;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged face or front view of the blade revolving mechanism with the cover plate removed;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged horizontal sect1onal view-on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3, the cover plate being applied and shown in section;

" Fig. 5 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view of a'portion of the clutch mechanism, showing the parts disengaged for permitting the continuous rotation of the fan blades when the slide is returned for the succeeding operating movement;

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of the fan with the blades shown collapsed;

Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of the washers between which the blades are mounted;

Figr8 is a group view of the hub sections -of the fan blades showing the relation of each to the other for effecting folding of the blades; and

.Fig. 9 is a detached perspective view of the operating slide and guides.

The present invention has been primarily designed for use as a portable fan unit in which ease of operation in the hand of a user is the predominating feature. Its utility as a part of ones toilet when attired in evening clothes has also been found to be particularly effective, although I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to thls partlcular use only, as various modifications in its size and capacity for other puroses may be resorted to without departing rom the spirit of the invention.

7 Reference being-had to the drawings,. my invention includes among other things a casing formed of a supporting section i, and a detachable cover section 2, through which latter extends the shaft 3 upon which are mounted the several fan blades 4. The shaft 3-is journaled in the supporting section 1 and the cover section 2, an intermediate supporting frame 5 being provided as shown.

Suitable washers 6 and 7 are secured to the outerend of the shaft 3, and serve to retain the hub sections 8 of the fan blades 4 in position. The hub sections 8 of each fan blade are notched as shown in Fig. 8, and are designed to receive a retaining and limiting lug 9 carried by the washer 7. This lug 9 extends through the notches of the hub sections and enters a notch 10 provided in the washer 6. This lug can be bent downwardly as will be understoodand serves to retain the hub sections in position.

The notches in the hub sections 8 vary in length sufficientto permit of the collapsing of the blades. This is done by swinging the blades which are held frictionally between the washers 6 and 7 so as to bring them into the position shown in Fig. 6 as will be understood. hen collapsed in this position the fan can be easily carried in the pocket, hand bag or other similar carrying device.

The means for n parting rotary motion to the fan Wesconsist f secured to the shaft 3, and adapted to mesh with a relatively large gear 12 secured to a shaft 13 journaled in the supporting section 1 and the frame 5.

A clutch device 14 is carried by the shaft 13 and comprises mating members 15 and 16 respectively. The mating member 15 is in the form of a gear loosely-mounted on the shaft 13 and provided with a series of beveled or slantin lugs 17.. The mating member 16 is prov ded with similar lugs 18. The construction of this clutch is such as to permit motion being transmitted therethrough inonedirection only, and to provide for the automaticdisengagement of the mating members as' will be presently described. i

A relatively light spring 19 is interposed between the large gearv 12 and themating member 15, the purpose of said spring being to normally engage the clutch members, but at the same time permit of their. im-

mediate disengagement as will be under stood. i

While-I have shown a relatively light spring interposed for this purpose, the normal engagement of the clutch device may be obtained through the gravitation of the mating clutch member-15 into the lugs of the mating member 16 when the casing is held in the palm of the hand with the fan blades uppermost. Thedisengagement of the clutch when in this position is obtained through the lifting of the mating member 15 out of engagement with'the lugs 17 of the member 16 upon reversal of the operating mechanism as will be understood. The means for imparting movement to the blades through the clutch device just described comprises a rack 20-provided on an operating slide member 21 which rojects from the casing as shown. The sliding member .21 is provided with a knob or finger engaging device 22, the design of which is such that the user of the device can readily place either his thumb or finger upon such knob and depress the sliding member a returning spring 27 the other end of said spring being attached to a screw 28 carried by the slide member. 'This screw 28 serves as a stopfor limiting the outward movement of the slide member as will be understood.

The action of the spring 27 is to return the slide 21 after each depression of the knob 22 as hereinbefore described.

The supporting frame 5.is shown as secured to studs 29. projecting from the frame sectionl. It will be-understood, however, that variations in'the form of this supporting-frame may be resorted to. In operation the fan blades are extended as shown in Fig. 1 and the casing positioned within the hand with thethumb or finger arranged upon the knob 22. Successive de-- 'pressions are then imparted to the slide member 21, whereupon the rack 20 causes the rotation of the clutch member 15. Mo-

tion is transmitted through the clutch mem-- ber 15 to the mating member 16 secured to the shaft 13, and in turn the motion is imparted through the relatively large gear 12 to the pinion 11 secured to the shaft' fthereby rapidly revolving the fan blades.

As the slide member is returned after each depression of the knob 22, the clutch members 15 and 16 are automatically disengaged,

thereby permitting the fanblades to continuously revolve in a single direction, and

at the same time permitting the return of the slide 21 after a succeeding depression.

Fromthe foregoing construction it will be obvious that I have provided a rapidly revolving fan in which the use of an automatically acting clutchTserves to transmit the reciprocating movement of the operating slide in an even and effective manner.

I claim:

A mechanically operated fan compm 'si o' a support'and 'casingadapted to be held iii the hand, a shaft journaledin said support and casing, fan blades carried by said shaft,

means for rotating the fan blades contimi ously in one direction, a bifurcated slidable member extending from said casing and controlled by the thumb or finger foroperating the aforesaid means, a relatively long guide plate secured to the aforesaid support and projecting into the bifurcated portion of the slidable member, a bracket in which the aforesaid shaft is journaled, and studs connecting said bracket to the support, said studs also serving to guide the aforesaid 'slidable operating. member.

' In testimony whereof I aflix my signature; 115

MARTIN S. DUPONT. 

